U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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19–012 2003

108th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 108–65

A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF 

HOMELAND SECURITY

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

A REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

APRIL 29, 2003.—Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 

ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, April 15, 2003. 

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: In accordance with provisions of Public Law 

107–73, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and 

Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations 

Act, 2002, I hereby request and make available $250 million for the 

disaster relief program of the Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS). 

These funds would allow DHS to continue providing assistance 

for disasters in several States, including the recovery of the Columbia space shuttle and the damaging winter storms on the East 

Coast. These funds also would be available for ongoing response to 

prior disasters and to ensure that DHS has resources on hand to 

provide timely response to future disasters. 

I designate these funds made available today as an emergency 

requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. 

The details of this action are set forth in the attached letter from 

the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I concur 

with his comments and observations. 

Sincerely, 

GEORGE W. BUSH. 

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[Estimate No. 8, 108th Cong., 1st Sess.] 

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, 

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, 

Washington, DC, April 14, 2003. 

The PRESIDENT, The White House. 

Submitted for your consideration is a request to make available 

previously appropriated contingent emergency funds for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate (EP&R) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These funds were made 

contingent upon your submission of a budget request to the Congress that includes designation of the amount requested as an 

emergency requirement. 

Title III of P.L. 107–73, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 

Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, provided $1.5 billion in contingent emergency appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency’s disaster relief program, which is now part of DHS. To 

date, $1.0 billion of these funds have been made available. Your approval of this request would make available $0.25 billion of the remaining $0.5 billion for disaster relief for any previously declared 

disasters, including the recovery of the Columbia space shuttle and 

the damaging winter storms on the East Coast. The funds also 

would be available for ongoing response to prior disasters and to 

ensure that EP&R has resources on hand to provide timely response to future disasters. 

I recommend that you designate this request for $0.25 billion as 

an emergency requirement in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) 

of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, 

as amended. 

I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied that it 

is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the Secretary of DHS in 

recommending that you make the requested funds available by 

signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Sincerely, 

MITCHELL E. DANIELS, Jr., 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS: AMOUNTS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED

MADE AVAILABLE BY THE PRESIDENT

Department of Homeland Security: 

Emergency Preparedness and Response: Disaster Relief ............ $250,000,000

Title III of P.L. 107–73, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 

Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies ApVerDate Jan 31 2003 23:07 Apr 30, 2003 Jkt 019012 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD065.XXX HD065
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propriation Act, 2002, provided $1.5 billion in emergency funding 

for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the amount requested as an emergency requirement. (FEMA’s disaster relief program is now part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).) 

The President recently declared disasters in Texas and Louisiana 

in response to the Columbia space shuttle, as well as in many 

Eastern States due to severe winter storms. DHS has been working 

with State and local authorities to provide assistance to the affected areas. This request would make available $0.25 billion of 

contingent emergency funding for disaster relief activities associated with these recent disasters, as well as continuing response to 

prior disasters and other disaster relief activities.

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